From Victor Duruamaku-Owerri
The Umudibia community in Nekede in Owerri West Local government area of Imo state over the weekend celebrated their annual Odu/new yam festival with a call on the state Governor Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, to come to the aid of the community in fixing their roads.
Making his presentation at the over crowded ceremony, of the 2019 Odu Umudibia New Yam Festival held in the community over the weekend, the traditional Ruler of the community, HRH Eze Godwin .O Merenini (Dibia 1 of Umudibia) appealed to the Governor to quickly come to the rescue of the community by rehabilitating the deplorable and devastated Ihigwa/Nekede road.
In his address, he further said that the roads had been abounded for so many years by previous administrations in the state, pointing out that the speedy rehabilitation of the road which has now become a death trap would rebuild the transportation difficulties of the people stressing that non adherence to his plea mighty cut-off his community from its neighbors.
“I am appealing to both the State and the federal Government to quickly come to our aid before it is too late” hoping that Governor Emeka Ihedioha would hearken to his plea as soon as the rain stops.
Eze Merenini who traced the origin and the new face of the festival which he said involves Ipu-Oji and Igba-Nkwa dismissed as grossly erroneous and misleading, insinuations in some quarters that the Odu festival for which the community is famous for is fetish adding that it has in recent times, acquired a garment of Christian celebrity
following the fire brand Christian life style which he has brought to bear in the community.
Recalling further the history of the festival, the traditional Ruler said that in 1684 Ochie, the progenitor of Dibia had a visitor from an un disclosed distance.
According to him, available records of the founding lathers of the community was Ochie adding that Ochie was the father of Ede, Okoche and Elereoche.
Going further down the memory lane, the monarch, explained that in the past, the festival commenced with the presentation of kolanuts – a practice which he said some Christians erroneously regarded as being fetish.
Deacon Ifeanyi – Chairman of the occasion speaking noted that though there are other food crops such as cassava, maize, melons, plantain, bananas, beans and cocoyam among others, the Umudibia community and indeed the Igbo regard yam as the cream of the crop.
“Our forefathers measured wealth by the size of yam barns and this attracted accolades in traditional Igbo land. The cultivation and ownership of yam is an important element of the cultural, political,economic and social life of the Igbo people.
We are proud to preserve the culture of our people as a way of preserving our identity. When our forefathers cultivated yams many years ago, they celebrated at the time of harvest”. This is what we
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